THIS WEEK IN AUTOMATION: Position Sensors, Robotic Welding Systems and More

The newest products from Alliance Sensors Group, Galil Motion, Lenze and Yaskawa.

LA-25-A series Position Sensors from Alliance Sensors Group

Alliance Sensors Group recently released its LA-25-A series LVDT linear position sensors, designed to handle extreme industrial environments.

Available in ranges from 3” (75 mm) to 15” (375 mm), the LA-25-A is ideal for roller gap positioning, process valve displacement, head box and actuator position feedback. The LA-25-A LVDT linear sensor has the durability to withstand the harsh environments found in steam and hydro power plants; paper, steel, and aluminum mills; die and stamping presses; building and bridge monitoring; and industrial automation and fluid power systems.

It can operate in hostile factory environments including lubricant and chemical mists, airborne grit and dust and typical industrial wash downs.

The LA-25-A LVDT linear sensor has a sturdy 1” (25.4 mm) diameter heavy wall housing of aluminum or stainless steel, two double-contact shaft seals that keep fluids and solid contaminants out of its bore and offers a choice of axial connectors or a cable in a metal cord grip.

The LA-25-A series permits a variety of mountings, including standard saddle-type clamps, a two-hole flange that screws onto its front bushing and a single hole mount through a bulkhead up to 1/8” thick.

The LA-25-A’s core is enclosed in a core extension rod assembly from which it can never break loose, while offering a sturdy male thread for easy mechanical connection. When mated with ASG’s SC-100 industrial LVDT DIN-rail-mountable signal conditioner, an LA-25-A LVDT becomes an ideal solution for heavy duty industrial applications for position sensing.

Standard Features:

  • Stock ranges from 3” to 15 inches (75 mm to 375 mm)
  • Enclosed Core in 3/8” diameter core extension rod with a 5/16-24 or 8 mm male threaded shaft end
  • 1” (25.4 mm) diameter heavy wall aluminum housing
  • Continuous operation to 220°F (105 C)
  • Two double-contact shaft seals keep out grit and dirt.
  • Environmentally sealed to IP-68

Options:

  • Stainless steel body
  • External auxiliary shaft seals
  • Mild radiation resistant version for nuclear power plants (30 Mrads for 40 years)
  • Mounting hardware including flanges, single hole mounting kits, swivel rod eye ends, ball joints, extension rods, holddown clamps, and tie bars for dual-mounted LVDTs
  • Radial connector or cable versions available- LA-25-R

For more information, visit alliancesensors.com

DMC-52xx0 EtherCAT Master from Galil Motion

Galil Motion Control has recently introduced the DMC-52xx0 EtherCAT master, Galil’s first 32 axis motion controller.

This new addition to Galil’s EtherCAT family is a pure EtherCAT controller with the ability to control up to 32 drives and two I/O modules. This space efficient package also provides uncommitted I/O for easy integration into any EtherCAT application.

The DMC-52xx0 is offered in two, four, eight, and 16 axis formats (32 axis coming soon). Coordinated moves can be done within banks of up to eight axes allowing for minimal changes of Galil’s programming language.

The DMC-52xx0 operates in Cyclic Synchronous Position mode (CSP). In this mode, the servo control loop is closed on the EtherCAT drive while the Galil controller sends motion profile commands at a rate of 1 kHz.

Designed to solve complex motion problems, the DMC-52xx0 can be used for applications involving jogging, point-to-point positioning, position tracking, contouring, linear and circular interpolation, electronic gearing, ECAM and PVT. The DMC-52xx0 makes configuration and programming easy with just a handful of EtherCAT configuration commands and Galil’s two-letter programming language.

The DMC-52xx0 comes with one Ethernet port for communication with a host PC and one EtherCAT port to communicate with EtherCAT drives. Multiple EtherCAT drives can be linked together in a daisy chain configuration and connected to the controller’s EtherCAT port, simplifying wiring and decreasing setup time.

One USB port is also provided for alternative communication with a host PC. The DMC-52xx0 is packaged in a compact metal enclosure measuring 9.75” x 5.00” x 1.60” and is powered by a single 90-250 VAC supply.

For more information, visit Galil Motion Control website.

g500 Gearbox Series Servo Adaptor from Lenze 

Lenze Americas, a manufacturer of electrical and mechanical drives, motion control and automation technologies, has released a servo adaptor for its g500 gearbox series.

Designed for the North American market, the Lenze g500 series servo adaptor is offered in a range of standard input sizes for compatibility with most servo motors on the market in the US and Canada. Available as an inline, right angle, or shaft mounted design, the g500 series servo adaptor optimizes available space and reduces the requirement for coupling components.

Developed to transform motor speed into torque as intelligently and accurately as possible, the finely tiered range of Lenze gearboxes are designed to minimize motor energy losses. The Lenze g500 gearbox series features energy efficiency of at least 94 percent across the entire transmission range.

For more information, visit Lenze website.

ArcWorld 2000 Robotics Welding System from Yaskawa

Yaskawa has recently released their ArcWorld 2000 robotic welding system.

The ArcWorld 2000 welding workcell is a modular solution specifically designed for robotic welding of large workpieces. This pre-engineered solution is ideal for low- to medium-volume manufacturers with a medium to high mix of parts. Able to handle parts up to five meters in width and payloads up to 6,300 kg, the ArcWorld 2000 is ideal for labor intensive jobs involving large parts or heavy deposition welding.

The workcell is configured with one or two six-axis Yaskawa welding robots directed by the DX200 controller with menu-driven arc welding application software, an integrated welding package (power source, wire feeder and welding torch), positioner(s), operator interface and safety barriers.

The ArcWorld 2000 scales from a single-station layout with a reduced floorspace footprint to a two-robot dual station configuration that makes it adaptable to changing production demands. Two station layouts can be configured with a “blank station,” allowing end user supplied equipment to be installed. Each station can have a different positioner. In dual robot installations, the second robot controller can be a reduced cost, dual-robot control type module (DRC).

Multiple positioner and robot options combine to deliver a modular solution for manufacturers of heavy transportation, agriculture and construction equipment. For maximum welding reach, the ArcWorld 2000 can be configured with two Yaskawa MA3120 robots. Additional welding robot options include the MA1440 and MA2010 models.

The ArcWorld 2000 takes advantage of the DX200 controller’s Functional Safety Unit (FSU) features as part of the total safety environment, which allows continuous station welding during part loading/unloading. Access to positions at either station is protected by light curtains.

Peripherals such as torch cleaners or tip-changing stations are installed in a fenced center zone to allow operator access to stations while robot maintenance functions are performed. Cable management is accomplished via a fence mounted wire way that provides protection while safely keeping cables off of the floor, eliminating trip hazards.

A MotoMount fixture mounting system can be included to eliminate the need for laser or transit alignment procedures, allowing for fast positioner setup and improved equipment life.

For more information, visit Yaskawa website.